The present invention relates to a faucet with a faucet housing, a tubular fastening device that can be fastened in a tap hole of a faucet carrier, and one or more flexible connection lines extending through the tubular fastening device to the faucet housing.
Faucets, such as sanitary faucets or sink faucets, are usually fastened by the faucet being placed from the top onto a tap hole of a faucet carrier, thus for example a hand-washing sink, a kitchen sink, or a countertop, and then screw-connected from the bottom with an appropriate annular or a horseshoe-shaped fastening plate at the faucet carrier. This type of assembly has however proven to be expensive and difficult, because frequently the operating space available for the installer underneath the faucet carrier is very limited.
Accordingly, quick fastening devices were suggested for faucets, which can be inserted from the top into a tap hole of a faucet carrier and exhibit at least two fastening clamps that can be laterally pivoted and adjusted in length, which via clamping screws extending inside the fastening device can be adjusted in reference to the bottom of the faucet carrier. The clamping screws themselves can here be operated from the faucet side of the fastening device so that the fastening device can be fastened in the tap hole of the faucet carrier, without it being necessary to perform any work underneath the faucet carrier. The faucet housing is then assembled on said fastening device.
Such a quick fastening device for a faucet is known for example from the Japanese publication JP2002146862. The faucet housing is here placed onto the upper collar of the fasting device. A threaded hole in the collar serves then exclusively for torque-proof fixation of the faucet. The connection lines are only then, after the installation of the quick fastening device, guided through the tubular opening. Here, due to the cumbersome connection bushing with the cap nut required to connect to the corner valves at the wall side, it may be difficult or impossible to push it from the top through the fastening device, so that an installation from the bottom is necessary.
A similar fastening device is also shown in the publication DE202012104488. The faucet shown there is fastened with a type of bayonet closure on the fastening device, thus it must be placed upon at the correct angle and then be locked on the fastening device with a rotary motion of the faucet housing. Due to the fact that there is relatively little space inside the fastening device for the connection lines and additionally the connection lines and a pull-out hose for a pull-out sprayer extend in separate channels through the fastening device, such a rotary motion is only possible if the connection lines have not yet been mounted. Thus, the connection lines must be connected from the bottom to the already fastened faucet, which in turn requires working underneath the faucet carrier.
Another quick fastening device is shown in the publication US 2013/048100. Here, the faucet housing is fastened via an additional molded plastic part, which latches with several flanges at an annular groove in the collar of the fastening device, on said fastening device. The connection lines must be guided laterally through the molded plastic part to a mixing valve. Such a multi-part fastening device is expensive in its production and difficult and time-consuming in the handling during the assembly.